A Hattiesburg, Mississippi man pleaded guilty on Mar. 9 to failing to pay over funds withheld from employee paychecks, according to an announcement by United States Attorney Baxter Kruger for the Southern District of Mississippi.
The case involves Duke Kimbrell Rodgers, age 68, who operated Rodgers Family Pharmacy. From 2013 to 2020, Rodgers withheld more than $1.5 million in trust fund taxes from his employees’ wages but did not remit those funds to the federal government. Additionally, due to these withholdings and his failure to remit taxes from his own paycheck, Rodgers submitted fraudulent personal tax forms that resulted in an additional loss of $629,831.
As part of his plea agreement, Rodgers has agreed to pay restitution exceeding $2 million to the Internal Revenue Service. He is scheduled for sentencing on June 18, 2026 and faces a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The Internal Revenue Service is conducting the investigation into this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.
This case highlights ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address tax offenses and ensure compliance with payroll tax laws.
